By Anita Dangazele
- Matatiele Mayor Sonwabile Mngenela is accused of using taxpayer money to attend an ANC conference instead of an official municipal meeting.
- The case was opened after documents allegedly showed the trip’s authorisation form had been manipulated.
Matatiele Mayor Sonwabile Mngenela (45) appeared in the Matatiele Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 11 March, for allegedly using taxpayer money to attend an ANC conference.
His case has been postponed to 31 March for further investigations.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana confirmed that Mngenela was arrested on Sunday, 9 March, after a thorough investigation.
“He was charged and released on warning, and he appeared at the Matatiele Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 11 March 2025,” said Gantana.
Councillor Wonga Potwana, who opened the case, said the struggling Matatiele Municipality paid R13,914 for Mngenela, his driver, and an ANC councillor to travel to East London.
“The trip was authorised by the municipality under the guise that the mayor would be attending a meeting with the National Association of People Living with HIV and AIDS (Napwa) in East London. However, it was reported that the mayor never attended the meeting with Napwa but attended the ANC Eastern Cape conference from 5-8 May 2022 in East London.”
Potwana said the original trip approval form, dated 22 April 2022, was for the Napwa meeting, which was scheduled around the same time as the ANC provincial conference. When the ANC conference was postponed to 5 May, the trip authorisation was allegedly amended, and the Napwa meeting was rescheduled for the same date.
He claims to have documents proving that the authorisation form was manipulated and that the mayor never attended the Napwa meeting.
“I exhausted all internal processes and ended up opening a case to prove my allegations against the mayor.”
Potwana also said the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) failed to investigate the case.
“Instead, in a council meeting in June 2023, my motion was never entertained.”
He said he takes no joy in anyone’s arrest.
“I had no reason but to go to the SAPS to prove my case, and the SAPS proved that there is prima facie evidence that the mayor needs to respond to and that will be tested fully in the court of law.”
Potwana added that the issue wasn’t about the amount of money taken but the misuse of power.
“This is not about the amount of money you took but the mayor misusing his power and defrauding ratepayers. I am protecting ratepayers.”
Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Zolile Williams said he was aware of the mayor’s arrest but was waiting for more details.
“It’s only through a brief investigation that I’ll be able to express my firm views on what must be done to deal with the alleged misconduct and fraud. At face value, the alleged incident is of a serious nature and is not in line with the spirit of good corporate governance,” said Williams.
He added that he is strongly against fraud and corruption.
“It is expected that mayors focus on serving our communities and must not be derailed by issues that don’t constitute the work we are supposed to do in order to change people’s lives. I also hope that these allegations are not politically inspired with intentions to destabilise the municipality.”
Williams said previous investigations into the mayor had not led to any findings despite money being spent on them.
“I will allow the law to take its course while also subscribing to the principle of presumption of innocence until proven otherwise,” he said.
Pictured above: Matatiele Local Municipality Mayor Sonwabile Mngenela.
Image Source: Matatiele Local Municipality/Facebook
